Sunday, June 26, 2011

Under the Influence: I wanna have a chance to geek out when I talk about music and other random things! I love examining the relationships that 2 people, 2 events or 2 artistic creations appear to be (or are deliberately) influenced by another. MC nerdness here I come!

The Chirelles (Mama Said - 1961)

The Chirelles are a girl group from the early 1960s and were best known for their song ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’. As you can see from this video, these ladies had a lot of soul, and an awesome early rock and roll/R&B sound. They were the very first girl group to ever have a #1 hit n the Billboard Hot 100 (that was in 1960,CHECK THE VID HERE). They were so early in their rise to awesomeness that they preceded Motown Records in their crossover appeal to white audience at a time when racially charged attitudes were still prevalent in the US. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, chyea!! Anyway, they were so awesome they caught the attention of a Native Hip Hop Artist who does some pretty awesome stuff in my hood…

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

So, I was thinking a lot about this whole blogging business…and I came to the conclusion that I am really having a blast. Blogging has become one of my favourite things to do. I have been really lucky that I’ve stumbled across some amazing bloggers in my learning time who continue to teach me though their example about all the things that a blog can achieve! (Shout out to @MrsWhich and @EricaGlasier)

Why do I love blogging so much?!

Well, once upon a time, I really enjoyed going to English class. I was so lucky in my public education that I consistently had awesome English teachers. So if you are an English teacher and taught me at one point, THANKS! And so I love blogging for a few reasons.

It helps me get my crazy thoughts out (but cuz its public I have to be clever about how and what I actually say)

It gives me a reason to sharpen up my English skills, there is nothing like creative writing to get the mind juices flowing and I feel like I am more clever because of it (my jokes are more sharp witted, my vocabulary is expanding and more!)

Its just fun.

I think I am going to start trying to add some exciting elements to my blog, that focus my thought and give me a little bit more of a theme to play around in. As such, here are my intended elements that I plan to begin featuring on a regular basis (probably weekly if I can discipline myself):

Under the Influence: I wanna have a chance to geek out when I talk about music and other random things! I love examining the relationships that 2 people, 2 events or 2 artistic creations appear to be (or are deliberately) influenced by another. MC nerdness here I come!

Arlington Adventures: I wanna be able to share stories about random North End happenings…it just seems like lots of them happen on Arlington

Safety Stories: I wanna comment on safety stuff, in relation to safety of the mind, body, emotions and spirit. Also, I work for SAFE Workers of Tomorrow, and they got me trained to look at the world in a more…safe way :P

As an Aboriginal person, the stewardship of our land is important to me. The governments and their efforts to help deal with flooding places them in a position to influence positive changes. The challenge is finding a common language to speak. We can start by focusing on specific organizations for now, with the hope, that ultimately, the preservation of Mother Earth for generations to come will overshadow petty politics.

If you are concerned about this and wanna help...Check out Kevin Rebeck's Blog and learn about the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Today is the day that Canada nods its head at the original peoples, the beautiful Aboriginals (First Nation, Metis and Inuit).

It is a day where I am allowed to be overly overt in my pride of being Cree and young and feeling like the world is at our finger tips!

Why I'm proud to be Cree

I'm proud because I'm CreeI'm proud we are one of the biggest Aboriginal Groups 'cross CanadaI'm proud I get brown(ish) in summerI'm proud because my people are the keepers of Turtle IslandI'm proud because our language has survivedI'm proud because 500+ years later, were still hereI'm proud because we know how to laughI'm proud because we have lived through spiritual abuse as a nation and can find it in our hearts to forgiveI'm proud because when I look at YOUth I feel hopeI'm proud because I can see the change positive thinking can make...and its contagiousI'm proud to be Cree because its who I am.

Happy ab day peeps

Stay Proud :)Michael Champagne"Let us put our minds together to see what life we can make for our children" - Sitting Bull

So when we (as a city) bestow an award upon someone, we do it in the shape of a key.

Its awesome because that is very symbolic, a key to a whole city must mean that individual has done such a service to its people that they would surely be welcome inside the homes of all people.

Now, I'm not sure if this is the same as any other Winnipeggers, but I wouldn't be comfortable if Gene Simmons had the keys to my front door. I would not be ok if someone did that without my knowing. It appears to me that many regular Winnipeggers were surprised to hear about this honour, and even now, I am unclear as to how this process works and to what extent the citizens of Winnipeg are involved in bestowing such an honour as a Key to the City. Now, if I am interpreting the Twitter-verse and social media circuit correctly, there are many people that feel the same.

As such, I Demand City Council to make it clear to Winnipeggers via all forms of media, what the process is for people to be selected as recipients of Keys to our beloved City, and provide an option for the people to re-construct that process at a future date should we find it unacceptable.

If you are with me: Share This, Like it, RT it, blog it, eat it, live it! We must hold city council accountable to us! (Let's us young people lead the way)

MCMichael Champagne"Let us put our minds together to see what life we can make for our children" - Sitting Bull

Saturday, June 11, 2011

So I had an amazing time while I was studying leadership in Dominica. We were hosted by people from the Public Service Union of Dominica, and it was fantastic. The landscape was beautiful and the people were very hospitable. It was overall, a very fulfilling (and I really mean FILLING) experience. It was filling because every place we went to...they had to feed us. It was pretty cool. I went to so many places, and so will share just brief snippets about each one!

First Day: Kalinago Territory, Emerald Pool and Meeting with Mayor of Roseau

This was amazing. Dominica is called nature island beacause of its lush forests and waterfalls. We got to experience this first hand at Emerald Pool, where I actually got to swim in a frickin' waterfall! It was literally breathtaking! In the evening we got to meet with the Mayor of Roseau who has been re-elected a bunch of times and has a great perspective on leadership. He shared a quote that stood out to me...it was about how 'if I need to step on you to get what the people need, I will'. I know its not the most collaborative ay of thinking but it does illustrate is commitment to his people and constituents, which isn't something you always see in elected officials.

This was a jam-packed day. We began by visiting 2 agencies that work collaboratively to get people to bring business and tourism to Dominica. I was impressed with some of their strategies, and Discover Dominica can be added to Twitter HERE. The social security was awesome because they were focused on proving health care and retirement support to all citizens in a very creative and relationship centred approach. Next, we went to some manufacturing plants that makes soap and paint. It gave me a new perspective on the importance of communicating leadership and also of having a committed tam around you with the right kind of equipment to get the job done. Finally, at our fancy PM Dinner, I found out that the an we were speaking to was the youngest prime minister in the current world.

Third Day: President of the House, DomLec, Parliamentary Speaker, Bellevue Chopin Farms and Primary Health Care

Next, we checked out DomLec, the electricity company there. They showed us the world's largest freshwater lake, Trafalgar falls that generates hydro electricity and explained that they were exploring the ideas around geo-thermal energy, as there is volcanic business happening underneath some of their mountains (which I guess would technically be called volcanoes). sounds like it could be a pretty sustainable situation for energy production, but only time will tell. Next, the Speaker of the house, was an outspoken young lady who believed in upholding the constitution and was one in along line of women holding positions of power in Dominca. Good job miss Alix :) Next up was Bellevue farms, where they are growing ORGANIC bananas and the leadership is visionary. They speak Creole to honour the spirits of the plants and are strongly against using chemicals. I love the respect they have for the plants, and the souls. They acknowledge the power of language...makes me wanna learn Cree. The goal is to build a university and create full time employment, in a respectful way. Finally we checked out a presentation from the Primary Health Care field with doctors, and supervising nurses, and front line staff. It was inspiring to see the proactive and preventative measures the were taking.

Next...

Right after this experience we got to have a chill night @ the sulfur springs in the area, (thanks again to the volcanic activity...i think) prior to starting 18 hours in motion

Monday, June 6, 2011

Today I woke up @ 3 in the morning, and had to leave to get ready to head down to the Nature Island, Dominica. I had to ship a box of Newfoundland stuff back to Peg City, because I wouldn’t have been able to pack it all in my luggage! I left Newfoundland and took with me so many valuable lessons about leadership and community. Bout how commitment to community needs to be # 1, and preservation of culture is what makes community strong. That can be through stories, traditions, songs, food and hospitality.

Red Alert

We took one flight from St. John’s to Toronto that took us about 2 hours. We were in TO for a brief period and were supposed to leave to travel to Antigua. We did end up doing that, but were held up for about 30-45 minutes due to something called a Red Alert. That’s what it’s called when there is lightning that strikes within a 5 mile radius of the airport and the planes are not allowed to fly in such conditions. Quite scary, but once we made it in the air, it was great. That was a 4 hour flight!! But it was not too shabby because I was listening to the music and albums Air Canada made available to their passengers and jammed out to lots of pop, rock, classical and folk music. The stand out artist in my mind is Jessie J, a pop artist from the UK (Momma Knows Best).

Landing in Antigua

Our flight touched down in beautiful Antigua! The first thing that struck me was the humidity! Man was it every humid there! A totally different kind of environment than the dry ass prairies! We had to fill out a customs form, and I realized that all the apples I had were not going to be permitted (or so I thought). In any event, after eating 6 apples in one day… I think I am done having Apples for a little while hahaha. So because we were delayed, we had missed our initial connection that was supposed to take us to Dominica. Thankfully, the airline held a second flight and we were able to make it on to that one! Only 30 minutes later we landed in Dominica…Speechless (and giggly)

Our flight approached the beautiful island of Dominica. From the plane I could see the beautiful range of island mountains the thick rain forest complete with Coconut & Banana trees and stark cliffs with cascading waterfalls. It sounds like im being corny…but this is real. Not to mention the beautiful backdrop of the ble sky and deep blue ocean. It was so great that I was laughing and giggling. Every tree and hill was so exciting. We met our hosts when we got off the plane and proceeded to drive for about 2 hours to arrive at our hotel.

The journey on Nature Island

That was a little scary for me. Here they drive on the opposite side of the road as in Canada but I didn’t know that right away. Haha also the roads are super narrow and the drivers are speedy! There are so many hills and curves and different elevations but our driver drove with complete confidence. It was scary for me, but eventually I learned just to trust in his driving. It was amazing to go though the small communities, look out on the ocean and see the rain forest around me….feeing the humidity and seeing the intense vegetation. Aw man….such an amazing experience.

- COMING SOON: A VIDEO-

So we arrived in our hotel at around 11 local time, and I ate some delicious local food (including green banana pie and mixed local veggies) and proceeded to head to bed. In the morning I made a quick video so that I could share the view from my hotel room (see above). I am pumped because in our first day on Dominca, we are going to meet with the Indigenous people of the island known as the Kalinago Nation. I am pumped because the group has suggested that I get to be the one to introduce our group to the chief and say thank you when we are done.

Friday, June 3, 2011

So today was our last day in N&L. It is very sad because I have become quite attached to our guides. They are amazing people that have really shown me a lot. They live and breathe community pride and it shows in how excellently organized this tour was. To our organizers and hosts, Ekosi for the hospitality.

We got to start our day with presentations from some Labour folks with the Newfoundland & Labrador Federation of Labour where they explained the Labour movement in Canada, ad some successes and challenges. Very very informative. We also got to hear from an amazing community group that is doing work with people with disabilities, called Avalon Employment Inc. . We learned that it began with $4000 and a dynamic leader. I am inspired by their story and hope to work with them in th future, so that 18 years from now, AYO can have a story of perseverance, accountability and transparency. Good job AEI for proving that we all have ABILITY.

Fare Thee Well

And with that, we finished our experience in Newfoundland at an exceptional place called O'Briens where we got to go on a boat tour! We saw many many birds at Gull Island, the Puffin is indeed an interesting little creature. I did get some beautiful pics though. The videos are not so great, but I may post them a little later. But it was such a great experience here and I am a little bit nervous for the next part of our tour because the standard has been set so high here.

Ekosi Newfoundland & Labrador, I will tell those that I encounter of the beauty, innovation and commitment to people and family that is consistent in every aspect of leadership we were exposed to.

So Day 6 was rather exciting. It marked the 3rd day In N&L which was pretty damn exciting for me. I am still overcome with the beauty of this place. We had some amazing opportunities to learn about some innovative leadership (again!) from the folks on The Rock.

Memorial University

We got to check out Newfoundland & Labrador's University. It was so enriching because we talked with the people that run their Distance Education, Learning and Teaching Support unit. It was excellent. I saw how that if a great leader, surrounds themselves with a quality team, and you give a shit about their professional development, the amazing things that can happen. This team was not only skilled as individuals in a multitude of areas, but they are also first and foremost, committed to the community. If you can get that kind of dedication from the beginning, the skills that people share will benefit not only the team, but the populations you are trying to affect as well. These folks are inspiring. They have one example that they id with the Indigenous folks of Conne River, that involved some awesome avatar technology and a cultural retelling of a Rite of Passage Story of a boy in a Labrador community called Conne River.

This place was so amazing! We even got to check out a Boat simulator, state of the art! In the demonstration, the boat was rocking, and we even hit an iceberg (no participants were hurt in the demonstration)! It was a great opportunity to learn as they shared their visioning process that was pretty unique and I would like to take some lessons and see if they can work in my visioning stuff I'm working on for youth.

Government House

We got to meet the LT of Newfoundand & Labrador and hang out with John Crosbie and his wife at his house! It was excellent because he shared many inspiring quotes with us and shared his long experience as a politician. He had quite a reputation for being outspoken, and I love it. The highlight for me, was while we were having a bit of a reception there, eating fancy little food things and such, I got to take Joan (his wife) around and explain to her some of the Indigenous spirituality that is present in some of the art that they had on display in their home. Specifically I got to explain how the Bear represents the teaching of COURAGE, and the Eagle represents the Teaching of LOVE.

This oil company is responsible for natural resource extraction among other things, all within the Energy production world. They are a Canadian company that is doing a lot of exploration in the Tar Sands among other exploration and natural resource extraction projects. I am pretty morally opposed to all of this...but it is a learning opportunity right...and so I tried to approach it as such and I think something really great came out of it. I suggested that they work with community and labour groups to help lobby to create a young worker initiative modeled after SAFE Workers of Tomorrow to engage young people in discussions of occupational health and safety at a young age, to improve the likelihood of all Newfoundlanders & Labradorians being safer, not only at work but in life. It felt like a really great meeting and I would love to work with these folks in sharing what I know, and /i know the rest of the SWOT Team would agree.

So all in all...a very intense day, but I got to do some really meaningful things, and I go to bed...happy :)

Thursday, June 2, 2011

I have been telling everyone here how I never understood the term breathtaking until I came here, and saw the beauty of the land...that literally took my breath away. And the thing that is really crazy, is th spirit and hospitality of the people, match the beauty of the land. There is a population here of 2about 500,000 people and everyone literally knows everyone. There is such an immense sense of community on this entire island (so far), and a sense of shared history, and future that really makes me feel so good.

So, when we left Fogo Island, we had about a 4 and a half hour drive to St. John's. So we watched an amazing video that got us super pumped about heading down south (it was about Belize) and then watched a video on the history of Newfoundland & Labrador. It focused on the fact that this was a province plagued with poverty and had constant challenges with economic prosperity, as the main industry was fishing. In any event, due to over-fishing, that can no longer be the main economy and Newfoundlanders & Labradorians are in a position where they have to find an alternative industry to create employment and stimulate the economy in this province. So, long story short, it showed me how much the history of exploitation, and the strong sense of community and togetherness was aligned with the experience of the many Indigenous communities I visit. (as an aside, the innovative leadership that I have been exposed to in this province has enriched my perspective so much)

I sat with one of our liaisons, a police inspector from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary after the movie because I wanted to ask the question: how do Newfoundlanders remain their welcomeness and their sunny disposition, even though they have a history that is marred with poverty, and exploitation of the industries and natural resources of this land? Nice question eh? Well, she told me that its because in Newfoundland, it really goes all go back to the people, and how the sense of connectedness has come from their isolation. Being an island community, they knew that if they (as a people) didn't do something to address their problems, that no one would. And also, they learned to laugh, not only at the funny things, but also themselves. Another impressive trait of these people is their amazing work ethic.

I saw such commonalities between us Indigenous folks and Newfoundlanders. At this point I began to explain to her some of the challenges our Nation is facing and how they manifested themselves in my own personal story. By telling her how I grew up she made me realize how much I am a produce of my environment. About how much I owe to all of the people that helped shape me into the person I am, specifically the Champagnes. Such a powerful example was set by that family that I had a foundation that has allowed me to be really successful today. Her outside perspective caused her to see...that I take my role i learning and helping our peple VERY seriously.

She noticed how upset I was getting as I was speaking about the problems of our people and I shared how passionate I was about using my own example for the benefit of the young people in the community. I was also very proud to share with her, the 7 teachings and how I try to live those in my day to day life, and share them with others. Well, she affirmed that I was doing good things, but when I shared a quote with her...she changed my tune.

Until all of us have made it; none of us have made it

That really has been a guiding quotation for me in my work, as it resonates with me. She said I needed to be careful with that though because I cannot help ALL Aboriginal people. She said that I can make a huge impact, I already have and will continue to do so in the future, but if I put that kind of pressure on myself... I won't be of any use to myself , my community. At this point, she made me look behind me, at the other 9 leaders that are in my study group with me, all older people, all amazing leaders, all have taught me so much already.

'what are those people doing right now?'

They were all sleeping, resting, listening to music or staring quietly out the window. She said that I have to learn to balance...and to take the time to rest, and to enjoy the experiences that I m a part of. She said I can't be learning all the time on this trip, and this short 4 hour period of inactivity, was a good opportunity to chill out, and just process on my own...or just to rest and relax and enjoy the beauty of the scenery and appreciate in the moment, the opportunity that I was given. Essentially, she told me to relax...because I was in a safe place.

Well it resonated so much, and I as so over-come with epiphany and the beauty of the land, and the immenseness of this experience, that I sat by myself after that and cried tears of joy, for half an hour. In that time, I was thinking about, and consciously acknowledging in my head, the REAL reasons why I am the way I am....because of the amazing people I have had in ,y life that showed me the way. It was just such a great experience, and afterwards...it felt like a weight had been lifted.

That safety of environment, is the place where learning occurs. Where we can explore ourselves, in the presence of others, and they will catch you. This is what I hope to create in my community. A place of safety, where those that I love can come as well, and I can be honest with myself in terms of my doubts, hopes and challenges.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

On this fourth day of adventuring, I heard a few stories that truly inspired me.Of course, in my re-telling, I will not do these stories the true justice they deserve, but I want to share with you what has been helpful to me.

The day began at 9 Wing Gander, the Canadian Forces Base that hosts 103 Squadron whose primary function is SAR (Search & Rescue).It was interesting to see how the organization was structured in a very transparent and disciplined fashion. I am reminded of my time in Army Cadets (1226 Fort Garry Horse Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps) and how much the skills of leadership, public speaking and instructional techniques have served me so well in my daily life for the past 10 years of my life. We heard stories of horrible situations, natural and man-made, that put human life at risk.It was so amazing to see the commitment, and explore some of the challenges, that come with operating such a situation. To the personnel at CFB Fogo, I salute you.

Today, we got to experience and be immersed in this amazing island off the island (of Newfoundland) called Fogo Island.It began with a ferry ride (video below) across the water (took about 40 minutes)

Once we arrived on Fogo Island, we were hosted by the Shorefast Foundation, a social enterprise that is involved in some very creative and inspiring initiatives that aim to enhance the local economy and provide opportunities for the local residents to share their gifts with the world. You can read more info HERE.

Now, stories.There are 3 that stick out in my mind.They stick out because each story contains a lesson about Leadership that I am personally struggling with right now.I feel very personally challenged in my role as a leader in my community…and pressured on this trip to represent the perspective of Indigenous youth.In any event, there were 3 stories that inspired me hugely.

#1 – The little girl and the horse

Once upon a time, there was a little girl.This girl was just like other little girls in her community, and at the age of 10, was gifted with a horse.This gift came with the condition, that that little girl was responsible for taking care of it.This girl was very challenged to do so, as maintaining a horse requires quite a bit of work (I am guessing here; it needs to eat, be brushed, exercised and so on).This little girl had to take time away from her friends, so she could take care of her horse.She had to make sacrifices in her own life and had to learn how to care for another living being.Now, being a little girl she didn’t know how to do everything right away and her father had to constantly remind her, mentor her and (most importantly) allow her to make mistakes.Years later, when this little girl was 15, she had the all the skills needed to take care of that horse.What stood out for me about this story, is that the father provided an opportunity for that young person to have responsibility, in a safe environment, where she was able to fail and fall.This failing/falling process is really important, because that little girl learned within that safe environment how to fulfill her role in a good way that was respectful of that other living being that was dependant upon her for its own survival.

#2 – Elisabet’s Children

Once upon a time, there was an amazing woman who owned a cutting edge contemporary art studio in an old school town.She believed heavily that accessibility was important, and she believed (through her own mentors examples) that every child had a gift.She would watch these young children (usually boys) come into her art studio and on their first visit, they would observe these pieces of art and speak like their fathers, criticizing the works.These same children, on their second visit, seemed less critical, and instead…just listened.By the 3rd visit, those young artists had become engaged and were asking questions and began thinking about different ways that they could express themselves.Why did this happen?! I believe it happened because of the amazing leadership of that artist and the words that she said to those kids: Listen; and let the art speak to you if it can.

I am excited to share my stories.

Love & Respect

MC

PS - Shout out to Deanna for giving me the idea of starting to do shout outs to people when I make my little video snap shots when I go to places. The credit for this idea, must be given to her. Thanks lady, and keep an eye out :P

PPS - If you wanna check out more info about the event that I am on, check out www.cceld.com

North End MC

Representin the North End of Winnipeg since 1987. I will share my journey tryna set an example and live a proud Cree life. I'll include my challenges and feelings and progress in terms of AYO! Aboriginal Youth Opportunities. You(th) are the reason.

AYO - Who We Are

AYO! (Aboriginal Youth Opportunities) is a network of young leaders from the North End; we stand together and learn from each other.We began in March 2010 and committed to working together.We have appeared on the radio and held an education themed event in the summer time.

This group is just us young people volunteering and therefore we have no budget.Our method of operating is writing letters of support to see who we can work with to strengthen this network of young leaders that are committed to helping our community get better; to see who wants to provide ABORIGINAL YOUTH with even more OPPORTUNITIES to be awesome.